A tridimensional atlas of the developing human head
Open accessAbstract
The evolution and development of the head have long captivated researchers due to the crucial role of the head as the gateway for sensory stimuli and the intricate structural complexity of the head. Although significant progress has been made in understanding head development in various vertebrate species, our knowledge of early human head ontogeny remains limited. Here, we used advanced whole-mount immunostaining and 3D imaging techniques to generate a comprehensive 3D cellular atlas of human head embryogenesis. We present detailed developmental series of diverse head tissues and cell types, including muscles, vasculature, cartilage, peripheral nerves, and exocrine glands. These datasets, accessible through a dedicated web interface, provide insights into human embryogenesis. We offer perspectives on the branching morphogenesis of human exocrine glands and unknown features of the development of neurovascular and skeletomuscular structures. These insights into human embryology have important implications for understanding craniofacial defects and neurological disorders and advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Advanced tissue-clearing methods combined with fluorescence microscopy have enabled the visualization of large samples, including entire mouse bodies and big human tissue specimens at the single-cell resolution.
“Advanced tissue-clearing methods combined with fluorescence microscopy have enabled the visualization of large samples, including entire mouse bodies and big human tissue specimens at the single-cell resolution1–5.”
From A deep-learning framework reveals whole-body perturbations at cell level (2026) · cites this paper as [4]
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References 104 · Cited by 35
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [37]Harel I. Tzahor E. Craniofacial Muscles L McLoon K. Andrade F. 2013 Springer
- Authors
- Blain, R., Couly, G., Shotar, E., Blévinal, J., Toupin, M., Favre, A., Abjaghou, A., Inoue, M., Hernández-Garzón, E., Clarençon, F., Chalmel, F., Mazaud-Guittot, S., Giacobini, P., Gitton, Y., & Chédotal, A.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Lyon 1 Université (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Gitton, Yorick
- Chédotal, Alain
- ORCID
- Venue
- Cell
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-12
- Volume
- 186
- Issue
- 26
- Pages
- 5910-5924.e17
- ISSN
- 0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10783631
- OpenAlex
- W4389489563
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 104
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11
- FWCI
- 3.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cell (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Université de Paris
- Wellcome Trust (215116/Z/18/Z)
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-LABX-65, ANR-18-IAHU-01, ANR-19-CE16-0021-01)
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Craniofacial Disorders and Treatments
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Anatomy and Medical Technology
- Keywords
- craniofacial development, cranial muscles, cranial cartilage, cranial nerves, neurovascular development, craniofacial defects, human embryology
- MeSH terms
- Embryo, Mammalian, Head, Humans, Morphogenesis
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